Method of and apparatus for controlling bobbin change in double-twist machines



G. FRANZEN 3,316,698 PAR IN 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 2, 1967 METHOD OF ANDAP ATUS FOR CONTROLLING BOBB CHANGE IN DOUBLE-TWIST MACHINES Filed July15, 1964 Lil May 2, 1967 (5. FR METHOD OF AND APPARATU ANZEN 3,316,698 5FOR CONTROLLING BOBBIN CHANGE IN DOUBLETWIST MACHINES 3 SheetsSheet 2Filed July 15, 1964 Inrenlar: M 654.,

' May 2, 1967 METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING BOBBIN CHANGE INDOUBLE-TWIST MACHINES Filed July 15, 1964 G. FRANZEN 3 Sheets-Sheet 5United States Patent Ofifice 3,3lh,698 Patented May 2, 1967 N Claims.(Cl. 57--53) This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for theautomatic bobbin change in double-twist machines.

Previously, machines of this kind have had to be supervised by one ormore female operatives who can act whenever required to change exhaustedbobbins or to repair yarn breaks. Failure to take appropriate actionleads to long stoppages and therefore poor utilisation of thisintensively capitalised machine. There are often difiiculties thereforein running such machines on a threeshift basis since twisting andwinding and the associated jobs are done by female labour, and femalelabour on night shifts is generally not available.

The supervisory work on a double-twist machine should therefore be soautomated that the machine can run completely unsupervised at least forsome long period of time, yet the complete system must not becomeovercomplicated; indeed, construction should be kept as simple aspossible, with a view to keeping first costs low and to reducing thelikelihood of disturbances and breakdown. Also, a system of this kind,as well as considerably reducing the human labour required, should workmore rapidly and more uniformly than with unaided human labour, with thelikelihood of increasing output per manhour and machine utilisation.

One of the operatives jobs which takes up most time is threading theyarn through the hollow tube of the spindle. According to onesuggestion-which is not, however, prior artto endeavour to reduce theassociated handling times, a preparation station is provided in the formof a pneumatic threader. This step reduces handling times but providesonly partial automation.

One great difliculty is knotting the broken yarn and, as the experts inthe pure winding-frame art are well aware, the automatic control gearfor knotting is very complicated, easily upset and expensive.

An important realisation behind our invention is that, in contrast topure winding, it is relatively seldom that any yarn knotting is requiredin two-for-one twisting. The yarn is not rewound from small units on tolarge units, nor is there any cleaning of the yarn, a job which causes ahigh percentage of yarn breakages, and so the idea behind the inventionis to combine a large amount of automation with the absence of anyautomatic knotting -i.e., no complicated knotting apparatus need beprovided.

In the method according to the invention, therefore, the creel bobbinand the twisted or doubled yarn bobbin (hereinafter called the doublerbobbin) or the core therefor are changed together and form a unitarygroup throughout until unwinding is completed.

The term creel bobbin as used in this context and hereinafter isintended to denote any kind of creel bobbin --i.e., including creelbobbins in a double-row arrangement.

To perform the method according to the invention, with the groupcomprising the creel bobbin and doubler bobbin or doubler bobbin coreremaining unitary throughout, such group moves for changingsubstantially around the spindle bank, very conveniently in rectangularcourse. Conveniently, therefore, a creel bobbin support whose bobbin hasunwound or whose yarn has broken, and the associated doubler bobbin, arereplaced by a bobbin support already fitted with a threaded creel bobbinand with an associated doubler bobbin core. In the event of a yarnbreakage the doubler bobbin and the creel bobbin are broughtconveniently close to one another and the yarn ends are knotted at agiven time, and the group comprising the doubler bobbin and the creelbobbin is kept ready for automatic insertion at the twisting or doublingstation.

As will be apparent, the operations of threading and knotting aretransferred to somewhere outside the twisting or doubling station. Themachine operative, therefore tas enough time to perform these variousjobsi.e., more particularly knotting-without reducing the running timeof the machine. The main reason for this is that the creel bobbin andthe doubler bobbin or doubler bobbin core (tube) stay together as aunitary group until the completion of unwinding, however often there maybe disturbances due to yarn breakages.

A bobbin carrier fitted with a creel bobbin can be provided with adoubler bobbin or a core therefor outside the twisting or doublingstation, and the yarn which has been drawn off the creel bobbin andthreaded into the twist spindle tube can there be placed on the doublerbobbin tube or knotted between the creel bobbin and the doubler bobbinto repair a yarn reak.

In one very effective way of performing the method according to theinvention, the bobbin carriers are exchanged in one direction ofmovement without reversal of direction from one side of the machine tothe other, and during the exchange movement the fresh doubler bobbin ordoubler bobbin core is removed from its carrier and, after ejection ofthe bobbin from the bobbin frame, is inserted into said frame. Thedoubler bobbin ejected from the bobbin frame is placed on the ejectedcreel bobbin carrier. The creel bobbin carrier and the doubler bobbinforming the group therefore stay together. The creel bobbin carriercombined with the doubler bobbin is moved away from the preparationstation adjacent the doubling station stepwise downwards, then forwardsto the stand-by station, and thence to the insertion station.

For satisfactory performance of the method according to the invention,the machine operative must see to it that there is at least one groupcomprising a creel bobbin and doubler bobbin or doubler bobbin coreavailable for each twisting station. If allowance is made for likelyyarn breakages, a tWo-for-one twister can at the end of a shift bebrought into a state enabling it to run through the next shift withoutany supervision, since a group is exchanged not only upon exhaustion ofthe creel bobbin but also at every yarn breakage, but the machinecontinues to run undisturbed whether the operative sees to theparticular spindles concerned immediately or at some later time.

In an apparatus for performing the method according to the invention, achanger apparatus movable along the machine is provided for automaticchanging of the group comprising the creel bobbin carrier with thebobbin and the doubler bobbin or doubler bobbin core. Conveniently,therefore, a gripper, preferably in the form of a fork and adapted tomove transversely of the longitudinal axis of the machine andvertically, is provided on the changer apparatus, and the fork prongsengage in guides of the bobbin carrier to raise the same to the level ofthe operative position and, in a non-reversing movement to initiate theejection of the creel bobbin carrier which has been operative and itsreplacement by another. The changer comprises two other grippers,preferably in the form of expanding mandrels, movable transversely ofthe machine axis and vertically, to engage the cores of the doublebobbins and insert them into the bobbin frames which are ready toreceive them or remove them. These devices permit changing the groups.

A description of the invention, with further particulars thereof, willbe given hereinafter in greater detail with reference to the drawingswhich show a preferred embodiment and in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical section through a double-twist machine taken in theregion of one twisting station;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the bobbin carrier change fork;

FIG. 3 is a plan view corresponding to FIG. 2',

FIG. 4 is a side view of the yarn detector, and

FIG. 5 is a plan view corresponding to FIG. 4.

A machine frame 1 has mounted in it, in known and conventional manner, aspindle bank 3 receiving double twist spindles 5 mounted by means oftheir wharves 4. The wharves are in known manner driven tangentially bya belt 6 associated with a conventional pressing roller 7. Yarn 9 paidoff from a creel bobbin 8 runs conventionally through a hollow tube 1%issues radially from revolvable plate or bowl 11 at 12 and runs via ayarn detector 13 and lead roller 14 to a traversing yarn carrier 15, tobe wound by means of a friction roller 16 on to a tube 17. In the caseof a double-row arrangementi.e., of two creel bobbins 8 disposed oneabove another-the t'wo yarns travel along the path just described.

A special spindle must be provided if the steps according to theinvention for automating the various operations are to be carried intoeffect. A carrier 13 of the bobbin 8 is kept stationary by magnets 19,26 in a manner known per se. The carrier 18 isin accordance with anearlier suggestion which is not, however, prior artprovided with adouble bearing 21 having a conical outside surface engageable in amatching conical socket part 22 of the rotating plate or dish 11. Theplate or dish is formed near the aperture 12 with a radial slot 23 whichextends into the socket part 22. According to another suggestion whichis not, however, prior art--the spindle can be stopped in an arbitraryposition which, in the present case, is such that the aperture 12 andslot 23 in the turntable 11 always point to the same place. In order notto overload the drawings, the means therefor are not shown.

The carrier 18 has guides 24 whereby it can be engaged (as hereinafterdescribed) and raised together with its bearing 21 and moved from oneside of the machine to the other. Disposed in the machine frame 1 is aV-bar 25 which can, conveniently, be mounted near one foot 26 of theframe 1. The bar 25 forms, as it were, a single track which extendsalong the length of the machine and on which wheels 27 of a U-shapedframe 28 of a bobbinchanging apparatus 29 run. The frame 28 also bearsvia a roller 30 in a U-bar 31 secured to the bank 3. The changerapparatus 29 is driven by an electric motor 32 which picks up itscurrent from busbars 34 via a pick-up bow 33. A compressor for operatingthe pressing cylinder is supplied with electricity in the same way. Thecompressor is mounted in the changer apparatus 29 but is not shown. Veryadvantageously, the compressor is of a pistonless kind known per se.

On a bar 35 and through the agency of pressing cylinder 36 and pistonrod 37, a lifting device 38 can be moved transversely of thelongitudinal axis of the machine, and roll mountings 39 are provided forthis purpose. Secured thereto, by means of a support member 141 forguiding the cylinder 40, is a piston rod 41. Secured to the bottom end142 of the cylinder is a fork 42 which can engage in the guides 24 inthe bobbin carrier 18, as can be seen more particularly in FIGS. 3 and4. The prongs of the fork 42 are long enough to receive two bobbincarriers 18 and transport the same horizontally and vertically. The fork42 can move as far as a preparation station which will be describedhereinafter.

Disposed on the carrier 141 in a second plane above the fork 42 are twoexpanding mandrels 43, 44 which are adapted to engage tubes 45 ofdoubler bobbins 46 and to insert them into carriers 47 which are readyto receive them or to remove them from carriers. No elaborate means forturning up the bobbin tube and its carrier part from the horizontalposition to the vertical are needed. The crucial action as can be seenfrom FIGURE 1 is that the carrier part for the tube of the bobbin isswung around on an arm along the dotted radial lines between the twoshown positions. In particular, by way of example, the carrier 47includes a hinged part carrying the bottom tube 1'7. The carriercomprises an arm 70 which can be swung to the full line position fromthe dotted line positions indicated by the radial lines. At the fullline position the hinged part is swung upwards (to the said raisedposition) to align the bottom core with the mandrel 44, and any suitablemeans such as an electromagnet may be provided for this purpose. Themandrels 43, 44 are each in the form of a rubber member which can beexpanded by compressed air supplied through a hollow piston rod 48, toclamp the tube 45. Through the agency of pistons 49, the mandrels 43, 44can be moved up and down pneumatically by means of pistons 49 incylinders 50.

The cylinders 40, 50 have their supplies controlled by a distributingvalve 51 in the form of a known electric valve for pneumatic programmecontrol. The various movement phases for the bobbin-changing system willbe described in greater detail hereinafter. The bobbins 46 are takenfrom the raisable carrier 47 and travel, in the direction indicated bythe diagrams in chain-dotted lines, to a preparation station 52 wherethey are placed on the associated bobbin carrier 18. The bobbin 46 isguided by a shaft 53 which continues to below the station 52 and whichhas an open part 54 so that the bobbin carrier 18 can be lifted off itsspindle and moved into the preparation station in a single movementtransversely of the machine longitudinal axis from the front to theback. The shaft 53 is so formed that the machine operator has accessinto it from the right and from the left with both hands. Conveniently,the station 52 has a carrier 55 and is additionally secured by aspring-biased flap 62 rotatable around a spindle 63. The carrier 18 andits associated bobbin 46 on the carrier 55 stay at the station 52. Thecarrier 55 has a manually releasable locking device 56. The carriermoves downwards along guide 57 and is braked by a piston, with rod 59,moving in a cylinder 58. The carrier 55, together with the groupcomprising the carrier 18 and bobbin 46, moves into a position 162 whichis shown in chain lines and in which the carrier 18 is transferred to aroller track 60 over which the group passes to a chain line position 61where it moves into the range of the fork 42, which is also shown inchain-dotted lines.

The machine is controlled by means of the yarn detector 13. As can beseen in FIGS. 4 and 5, the yarn detector system comprises a knownself-threading yarn carrier 113 with an entry hoop 114. A spring-biaseddetector lever 116 is pivoted near the point 115 where the yarn passesthrough.

If the yarn breaks or if the yarn end runs off the bobbin 8, thedetector lever 116 pivots into the position 116' to close the controlcircuit and thus initiate the stopping of the spindle, raising thecarrier 47, moving the changer 29 to the location of the disturbance andlocking the changer 29 at such location. When the changer 29 has reachedthe location of the disturbance, a programme control 51 in the changer29 is started and changes a group comprising a carrier 18 and tube 45 orbobbin 46. The last item on the programme of this control is the releaseof the changer 29 so that the same is then free for further changingoperations and can readily be called automatically to the location ofthe next disturbance. After release the changer can either remain at theplace of release until it is required for a fresh disturbance, or moveinto a central position-and thus be able to travel the shortest distanceto any fresh disturbanceor patrol along the length of the machine.

The machine operates as follows.

It will be assumed that the yarn 9 breaks when the state of operationsat the twisting station is as shown in solid lines for the spindle 5 andin chain-dotted lines for the bobbin at a place 46'. The detector 13therefore drops and initiates events programmed as follows:

The spindle 5 stops with the slot 23 pointing to the front. The changer29 is called to the disturbance and locked near the disturbed spindle. Afork 42 with the prongs long enough to receive two bobbin carriersconsecutively is at this time in the chain-line position A, but movesimmediately to position B and picks up the group 18, 46 at the position61. The lifting cylinder 40 then rises until the fork reaches position Cat the level of the operative position of the spindle 5. The mandrel 43then descends, engages with the tube 45 of the bobbin 46 and moves itinto the top solid-line position 46. Simultaneously, the carrier 47being in the raised position, the mandrel 44 has engaged with the tube45 of the bobbin 46 which, together with the carrier 18 and bobbin 8, isassociated with the spindle 5 actually in operation at that particulartime. The mandrel draws the bobbin 46 off the carrier 47. The liftingdevice now moves from front to rear transversely of the machinelongitudinal axis so that the fork 42 moves from position C to positionD, the mandrels 43, 44 moving to the left (with respect to FIGURE 1orientation) by corresponding amounts. The lifting device 40 then risesto bring the fork 42 into position E. The carrier 18 has therefore comeinto the position 18 in which the bearing 21 has been removed from itsmatching socket 22. The next phase of the movement-into position Fcannow be performed. In position F the fresh group 18, 46 is right at thetwisting station, the carrier 18 and bobbin 8 being above the revolvable plate or dish 11 and the wharve and the bobbin 46 being abovethe carrier 47. All that remains is the lowering movement. Duringlowering the fork moves into position G. The fresh carrier is loweredinto its matching member 22. The carrier 18 which was previously inoperation is deposited at the preparation station 52. The mandrels 43,44 are lowered until they engage with the associated bobbin, thecorresponding bobbin 46 which forms part of a new group being released,while the mandrel 44 releases the bobbin 46 of the group previously inuse so that such bobbin can be combined with the ejected carrier 18. Thecomplete lifting device 38, and therefore the fork 42 and mandrels 43,44, are returned to the original position. The original position for thefork 42 is the position H. The programme control then releases thechanger 29 so that the same can be moved to the place of any freshdisturbance.

Since the yarn 9 which is required to unwind from the bobbin 8 throughthe tube is knotted to the bobbin 46, the upwards movement of the bobbin46 produced by the mandrel 43 pulls the yarn 9 upwards, and upon themandrel 43 and therefore the bobbin 46 moving transversely, this istherefore introduced automatically into the detector 13 and carrier sothat twisting can be resumed immediately after the carrier 47 has beenlowered. The yarn 9 has also come near the detector 13 and is introducedby the pivoting yarn inserter 117 into the passage 115. The pivoting ofthe inserter 117 is produced by a cylinder 118 controlled by theprogramme control.

At the preparation station 52, the machine operative, whatever thefault-a yarn breakage or exhaustion of the bobbin 8-removes the groupcomprising the ejected carrier 18 and bobbin 46 and inserts a freshgroup. The latter can be either a group which has still not fullyunwound and which merely requires the yarn break to be repaired, or afresh group in which the unwinding from the bobbin 3 has notstartedi.e., the tube of the bobbin 46 is still empty. Assembly,threading-up and knotting are all performed outside the machine, and themachine operative can, for instance, push round a trolley containingappropriately assembled groups. Upon the completion of exchanging, themachine operative releases the carrier 55 so that the group can bedeposited on the roller track 60. If required, the group need not bereplaced if the yarn breaks; instead, the yarn can be knotted while thegroup is at the preparation station.

What I claim is:

1. A method of servicing a double twist machine having a plurality ofstations comprising: associating a threaded creel bobbin to doublerbobbin means at a preparation station including operatively securingyarn from the creel bobbin to the doubler bobbin means; cycling theassociated creel bobbin and doubler bobbin means to a standby stationand from there to an insertion station; sensing an interruption of thepassage of yarn from an in place creel bobbin to an in place doublerbobbin means at a doubling station, moving said associated creel bobbinand doubler bobbin means toward said doubling station and withdrawingsaid in place creel bobbin and in place doubler bobbin means from saiddoubling station; then installing said associated creel bobbin anddoubler bobbin means in place at said doubling station and depositingthe formerly in place creel bobbin and formerly in place doubler bobbinmeans at said preparation station.

2, The method of claim 1 further including the steps of securing brokenyarn ends to one another; and reassociating the formerly in place creelbobbin and the formerly in place doubler bobbin means to constitute anassociated creel bobbin and doubler bobbin means at said preparationstation.

3. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of: replacing anempty formerly in place creel bobbin with another creel bobbin havingyarn thereon; associating said other creel bobbin with doubler bobbinmeans to constitute an associated creel bobbin and doubler bobbin meansat said preparation station.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the formerly in place doubler bobbinmeans is removed from said preparation station with the empty formerlyin place creel bobbin and said other creel bobbin is left at saidpreparation station associated with another doubler bobbin means thansaid formerly in place doubler bobbin means.

5. The method of claim 1 in which the creel bobbin includes a twistspindle tube and the doubler bobbin means includes a core, wherein thecreel bobbin and doubler bobbin means are associated by drawing yarn oifthe creel bobbin and threading it through the twist spindle tube andonto the doubler bobbin core.

6. A double twist machine having: means defining at least onepreparation station, means defining at least one standby station, meansdefining at least one insertion station and means defining at least onedoubling station at Which yarn is wound from a creel bobbin onto doublerbobbin means all of said one stations being generally disposed in acommon plane; means for sensing an interruption in the passage of yarnfrom the creel bobbin to the doubler bobbin at said doubling station; achanger apparatus disposed at said insertion station at least upon thesensation by said sensing means of a yarn interruption and comprising:

(a) means for withdrawing an associated creel bobbin and doubler bobbinmeans having yarn operatively threaded therebetween from said stand-bystation;

(b) means for disengaging from the doubling station the creel bobbin anddoubler bobbin means between which yarn passage has been interrupted;

(0) means for depositing the disengaged creel bobbin and doubler bobbinmeans at the preparation station; and

(d) means for installing the associated creel bobbin and doubler bobbinmeans withdrawn from the stand-by station at the doubling station.

7. The double twist machine of claim 6 having a plurality of each ofsaid stations in planes spaced from one another along the longitudinalaxis of the machine; the stations in each plane defining a group and asensing means for each group; said changer apparatus being mounted formovement along said axis to each of said groups in response to sensingof a yarn interruption by the respective sensing means for removal andreplacement of the creel bobbin and doubler bobbin means thereat.

8. The double twist machine of claim 6 wherein changer includeshorizontally opening fork member mounted for movement transversely andvertically of the machine said fork member being removably engageablewith guide means operatively secured to each respective creel bobbin foreffecting movement of the creel bobbin between stations and elevation ofthe creel bobbin associated doubler bobbin means with the respectivecreel bobbin from the stand-by station to the insertion station.

9. The double twist machine of claim 8 wherein the changer also includesa doubler bobbin core engaging means, separate from said fork member,and mounted for movement vertically and transversely of the machine;said core engaging means being constructed and arranged to accept thecreel bobbin associated doubler bobbin means from the support of saidfork member at said insertion station and to emplace the accepteddoubler bobbin means at the doubling station, said core engaging meansalso being constructed and arranged to deposit the disengaged doublerbobbin means at the preparation station.

10. The double twist machine of claim 9 wherein the bobbin-core engagingmeans comprise two expansiblecontractile mandrels.

11. The double twist machine of claim 7 in which the changer apparatuscomprises a U-shaped frame; a longitudinal track on said machineexternally thereof; said frame being mounted on said track; said machinehaving means thereon for supporting and guiding the U-shaped frame.

12. The double twist machine of claim 11 wherein the changer apparatusincludes fluid cylinder means thereon for elevating and transverselymoving the means (a) through (d).

13. The double twist machine of claim 6 further including a generallyvertical track extending between said preparation station and saidstand-by station; a manually lockable carrier on said vertical track;said lockable carrier being lowerable along said track to moveassociated creel bobbin and doubler bobbin means from said preparationstation to said stand-by station.

14. The double twist machine of claim 13 including a roller trackextending throughout said stand-by station and being so oriented as todispose associated creel bobbin and doubler bobbin means supportedthereon in said stand-by station toward a position for access by saidchanger apparatus.

15. The double twist machine of claim 6 further comprising programcontrol means for cycling operation of means (a) through (d).

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,076,434 4/1937Anderson 57-52 2,407,366 9/ 1946 Cotchett et al 242- 2,408,135 9/ 1946Cotchett 24235 2,432,722 12/ 1947 Campbell 242-35 2,584,096 1/1952Thomas 57-80 FRANK J. COHEN, Primary Examiner.

D. E. WATKINS, Assistant Examiner.

6. A DOUBLE TWIST MACHINE HAVING: MEANS DEFINING AT LEAST ONEPREPARATION STATION, MEANS DEFINING AT LEAST ONE STANDBY STATION, MEANSDEFINING AT LEAST ONE INSERTION STATION AND MEANS DEFINING AT LEAST ONEDOUBLING STATION AT WHICH YARN IS WOUND FROM A CREEL BOBBIN ONTO DOUBLERBOBBIN MEANS ALL OF SAID ONE STATIONS BEING GENERALLY DISPOSED IN ACOMMON PLANE; MEANS FOR SENSING AN INTERRUPTION IN THE PASSAGE OF YARNFROM THE CREEL BOBBIN TO THE DOUBLER BOBBIN AT SAID DOUBLING STATION; ACHANGER APPARATUS DISPOSED AT SAID INSERTION STATION AT LEAST UPON THESENSATION BY SAID SENSING MEANS OF A YARN INTERRUPTION AND COMPRISING:(A) MEANS FOR WITHDRAWING AN ASSOCIATED CREEL BOBBIN AND DOUBLER BOBBINMEANS HAVING YARN OPERATIVELY THREADED THEREBETWEEN FROM SAID STAND-BYSTATION; (B) MEANS FOR DISENGAGING FROM THE DOUBLING STATION THE CREELBOBBIN AND DOUBLER BOBBIN MEANS BETWEEN WHICH YARN PASSAGE HAS BEENINTERRUPTED; (C) MEANS FOR DEPOSITING THE DISENGAGED CREEL BOBBIN ANDDOUBLER BOBBIN MEANS AT THE PREPARATION STATION; AND (D) MEANS FORINSTALLING THE ASSOCIATED CREEL BOBBIN AND DOUBLER BOBBIN MEANSWITHDRAWN FROM THE STAND-BY STATION AT THE DOUBLING STATION.